Water leak detection in Minneapolis for commercial and multifamily buildings

Managed leak detection, 24/7 monitoring and automatic shutoff for condos, loft conversions and commercial buildings across the Twin Cities.

The Stone Arch Bridge and Minneapolis skyline at golden hour
150,000+
active smart devices in the field
$2.26M
in water costs saved in 2025
24/7
monitoring center

Why Minneapolis buildings carry water risk

Minneapolis put a large share of its condo stock inside buildings that were never plumbed for residential living. The North Loop and the Mill District turned warehouses from the late 1800s and early 1900s into lofts and condos, threading modern risers and supply lines through heavy timber and brick that hides a slow leak well. When a fitting lets go behind a century-old wall, the first sign is usually a stain in the unit below.

Then there is the cold. The January 2019 outbreak took the Twin Cities to 28 below zero, the coldest reading since 1996, and it broke water mains. Cold that deep finds the building's weak points, the supply line in an exterior wall, the sprinkler branch above a parking ramp. A pipe that bursts on a night like that floods for hours because nobody is in the building.

Twin Cities office vacancy sits at historic highs, and a dark floor is where a leak runs longest. Associations have reported master policy premiums rising sharply, fewer insurers bidding and more non-renewals, and repeat water claims are what a hardening market punishes. Eddy serves the Twin Cities with the same managed program it runs across North America, monitored around the clock from Toronto, a city that runs the same winters.

Where leaks start in Minneapolis buildings

Deep freezes and burst pipes

Subzero stretches put supply lines in exterior walls, parking ramps and underheated mechanical spaces at risk. A burst on the coldest night of the year floods multiple floors before anyone is in the building to notice, which is why monitoring and automatic shutoff matter most in January.

Modern plumbing in century-old shells

North Loop and Mill District conversions threaded risers and supply lines through heavy timber and brick built long before residential plumbing. Those materials conceal a slow leak well, so the first visible sign is often damage a floor or two below the failure.

Dark floors in a soft office market

Office vacancy in the Twin Cities is at historic highs and a lightly occupied floor is where a leak runs longest. Flow monitoring and point-of-leak sensors watch the space nobody walks anymore, and shutoff does not wait for a tenant to call.

A hardening association insurance market

Minnesota associations report sharply rising master premiums, fewer insurers bidding and more non-renewals. Repeat water claims drive the trend, and a documented monitoring program is the strongest answer a board can bring to renewal.

Smart leak detection in Minneapolis

A smart water leak detection system pairs wireless sensors and smart meters with automatic shutoff, so a Minneapolis building catches a leak in seconds instead of discovering it from a ceiling stain. Eddy runs the full stack as one managed program with a staffed 24/7 monitoring center on the chain.

Sensors plus flow intelligence

3-in-1 wireless sensors watch high-risk spaces for water, temperature and humidity while smart meters flag abnormal flow against thresholds learned from the building's own baseline.

No building Wi-Fi needed

Devices run on Eddy's own LoRaWAN network at 915 MHz, a long-range radio that holds a signal through concrete. Gateways backhaul over Ethernet or LTE cellular, and with cellular backhaul monitoring stays up even if building internet goes down.

Shutoff plus a live response

Automatic valves close the moment a configured rule fires, and Eddy's monitoring center calls the building's contacts within minutes of every alert. Every confirmed event closes with a Leak Incident Report.

See how the Eddy system works, from sensor placement to the monitoring center.

Coverage map

How Eddy works in a Minneapolis building.

Three layers, one solution. Turn the building to see where sensors, meters and valves sit, then run a leak through the system, from the first drop to the monitoring center's response.

Cutaway model of an occupied mid-rise showing Eddy sensors in the suites and risers, meters and shutoff valves in the basement mechanical room, and the rooftop gateway linked through Eddy's cloud to the 24/7 monitoring centerCutaway model of an occupied mid-rise showing Eddy sensors in the suites and risers, meters and shutoff valves in the basement mechanical room, and the rooftop gateway linked through Eddy's cloud to the 24/7 monitoring center

Occupied building · Business hours

Drag to turn the building. Select a label, or run a leak through the system.

Interactive 3D section of an occupied mid-rise, from the domestic main in the basement to the suites, risers and rooftop mechanical. It shows where Eddy places its sensors, smart meters, shutoff valves and LoRaWAN gateway, and how alerts travel through Eddy's cloud to the 24/7 monitoring center.

The system

Detect, control and respond, in one managed program.

Sensors sit where leaks start and meters watch the flow. Valves close on the rules you set, and a 24/7 monitoring center follows each alert until your team has eyes on it.

3 layers and 16 close-ups in this building

Detect

Two ways to find a leak before it finds a unit.

Sensors sit where leaks start, and meters watch the flow for the leaks no sensor can reach.

8 close-ups · select one to zoom in

Point-of-leak

Flow-based

More about Detect

Eddy detects water through two layers running in parallel. Point-of-leak sensors sit where leaks happen: common areas and mechanical rooms (including elevator pits), inside suites at high-risk appliances, and behind walls at the risers that hide damage until cascade. Flow-based detection runs continuously at meters across the building, flagging continuous low flow, continuous use and extreme use against thresholds learned from your building's baseline.

  • 3-in-1 sensors detect water, temperature and humidity
  • Three flow thresholds, learned per building, not generic defaults
  • Sensors are permitted near sprinkler infrastructure; valves are not

Where each device sits

  • COMMON: Common & mechanical areas (incl. elevator pits) · Eddy H2O
  • AMENITY: Pool, gym, spa decks · Eddy H2O
  • IN-SUITE: Out-of-wall at laundry, kitchen, baths · Eddy H2O
  • RISERS: In-wall domestic risers (concealed) · Eddy H2O
  • HVAC + FAN COILS: Concealed HVAC sources · Eddy H2O
  • SUITE METERING: Per-unit submetering + leak detection (LEED-eligible) · Eddy IQ
  • BUILDING USAGE: Main consumption monitoring · Eddy Link
  • H&C MAKE-UP: Closed-loop heating/cooling · Eddy IQ

Control

Valves that close the water before it closes the unit.

Valves close on the rules you set, automatically on a threshold or remotely from the dashboard.

4 close-ups · select one to zoom in

More about Control

Detection without action is just an alert. Every sensor or meter event can trigger a valve, automatically on threshold or remotely from the dashboard. Eddy IQ is the all-in-one meter and valve for ¾"–1" lines. Eddy Link drives third-party shutoff valves up to 18" for everything larger.

  • Eddy IQ at ¾"–1": combined meter + valve in one unit
  • Eddy Link + 3rd-party valves at mains, zones, risers, hydronics (up to 18")
  • Fire mains and sprinkler systems excluded by design for life safety

Where each device sits

  • MAIN VALVE: Building point-of-entry shutoff · Eddy Link
  • ZONE VALVES: Riser and zone isolation · Eddy Link
  • HVAC SHUTOFF: Heating/cooling closed-loop · Eddy Link
  • SUITE VALVE: Per-suite shutoff (Smart Metering add-on) · Eddy IQ

Respond

A live monitoring center that closes the loop.

Alerts go through Eddy's cloud to a 24/7 monitoring center, and an operator calls your team until someone has eyes on the water.

4 close-ups · select one to zoom in

What happens in a leak, step by step
  1. A washing machine supply hose bursts in a suite upstairs.
  2. Eddy H2O under the washer detects water and sends the alert over LoRaWAN.
  3. The building's gateway relays it. Your team and the 24/7 monitoring center are alerted at the same time.
  4. A shutoff rule closes the suite's Eddy IQ valve. The water stops at the source.
  5. An operator confirms the alert and calls your on-site team through the escalation protocol.

Automatic shutoff is configured per building. Some sites use operator-coordinated isolation instead.

More about Respond

Eddy's 24/7 monitoring center confirms every alert, escalates per your contact list and stays on the line until the water is off and the on-site team has eyes on it.

  • Configurable automation rules per zone and time of day
  • Trained operators on duty 24/7
  • Escalation: automation → property manager → emergency contact, on your list
  • Submetering and consumption data for billing, conservation and ESG reporting

Behind each close-up

  • AUTOMATION: Configurable rules per zone & time-of-day · Eddy Dashboard
  • LIVE OPERATORS: Trained humans, every event · Monitoring center
  • ESCALATION: Per-contact-list escalation · Your team
  • SUBMETERING: Per-unit billing & conservation reporting · Eddy IQ

The system

Eddy goes in while the building goes up.

Sensors cover risers, HVAC sources and active work zones before the walls close. Meters watch the domestic main and site water, and the monitoring center is on the line from day one.

3 layers and 15 close-ups in this building

Detect

Build the detection layer into the building itself.

Sensors go in before the walls close, and meters watch the main and the site water from day one.

9 close-ups · select one to zoom in

Point-of-leak

Flow-based

More about Detect

The best time to place a sensor behind a wall is before the wall closes. Eddy goes in during construction to install the same operational-grade detection your building will run on for the next decade: sensors at common areas and mechanical rooms, concealed sensors at risers and HVAC sources you'll never be able to retrofit this easily again, plus construction-specific coverage at active high-risk zones, ambient climate monitoring during temperature and humidity swings, and optional fire main flow monitoring for unintended sprinkler discharge.

  • Same 3-bucket sensor placement as operational buildings (common · in-suite · concealed)
  • Riser and HVAC sensors placed pre-drywall, no later retrofit needed
  • Construction-only overlays: high-risk zone sensors, climate anomalies, fire main flow monitoring

Where each device sits

  • COMMON & MECHANICAL: Mech rooms, lobbies, elevator pits · Eddy H2O
  • RISERS: Placed before walls close · Eddy H2O
  • HVAC + FAN COILS: Concealed HVAC sources · Eddy H2O
  • HIGH-RISK ZONES: Construction-active areas (Advanced tier +) · Eddy H2O
  • CLIMATE: Humidity & temperature anomalies · Eddy H2O
  • DOMESTIC MAIN: Building usage from Day 1 · Eddy Link
  • SITE WATER: Temporary construction water (Eddy IQ) · Eddy IQ
  • H&C MAKE-UP: Closed-loop heating/cooling · Eddy IQ
  • FIRE MAIN FLOW: Unintended sprinkler discharge detection (meter only, no valve) · Eddy Link

Control

Stop the cascade before the crew gets the call.

Valves close on the lines most likely to fail, and schedule mode shuts the main when the crew leaves.

5 close-ups · select one to zoom in

More about Control

Automatic shutoff on the lines most likely to fail during construction: domestic main, temporary water supply, hydronic make-up. Schedule mode closes the valve when the trades leave and opens it when work resumes. A daily after-hours guardrail aimed at the 2 AM peak when most leaks happen and the site is empty.

  • Eddy Link + 3rd-party valve on the domestic main (sized to pipe)
  • Eddy IQ on ¾"–1" lines (temp construction water and H&C make-up)
  • Domestic zone valves added at the Unlimited tier
  • Fire mains excluded by design (monitoring permitted, see DETECT pillar)

Where each device sits

  • MAIN SHUTOFF: Domestic main · Eddy Link
  • SITE WATER: Temporary construction water · Eddy IQ
  • H&C MAKE-UP: Heating/cooling closed-loop · Eddy IQ
  • ZONE VALVES: Domestic zones (Unlimited tier) · Eddy Link
  • SCHEDULE MODE: Automatic after-hours close · Eddy Link

Respond

Day 1 of the project, Day 1 of the service.

The monitoring center is on the line from the first valve install and stays on through occupancy.

3 close-ups · select one to zoom in

What happens in a leak, step by step
  1. A fitting lets go on a charged riser, several floors up.
  2. Eddy H2O on the slab detects water, and the meter on the domestic main sees the flow jump.
  3. The alert reaches the site team and the 24/7 monitoring center at the same time.
  4. The domestic main closes on the project's shutoff rule.
  5. An operator coordinates live with the superintendent until the crew has eyes on it.

Shutoff rules are set per project, per zone and per time of day.

More about Respond

Eddy's monitoring center is on the line from the first valve install. Every alert is confirmed by a trained operator and coordinated live with the superintendent, not left on voicemail. When the building reaches occupancy, the service continues with the same team. No handoff to figure out, no system to redeploy.

  • Operators coordinate live with on-site superintendent
  • Same monitoring center carries through to occupancy

Behind each close-up

Smart sensors at every leak point

Eddy places point-of-leak sensors and smart flow meters where water damage actually starts in Minneapolis buildings, from the mechanical room to a laundry hose, so a leak is caught at the source and shut off before it spreads.

Eddy smart leak detection in a building mechanical rooms setting

Mechanical rooms

Boilers, water heaters and main risers, where a single failure floods fast.

Eddy smart leak detection in a building hvac and fan coils setting

HVAC and fan coils

Heat exchangers and condensate lines that drip behind walls and ceilings.

Eddy smart leak detection in a building kitchens setting

Kitchens

Supply lines, shutoffs and appliance connections under and behind the sink.

Eddy smart leak detection in a building bathrooms setting

Bathrooms

Toilets, vanities and concealed in-wall fixtures on every floor.

Eddy smart leak detection in a building laundry setting

Laundry

Washer hoses and laundry connections, a top source of overnight leaks.

Detect fast, act fast

Every minute changes the bill.

A leak gets bigger the longer it runs. Eddy detects in seconds and the monitoring center escalates within minutes, so the same failure is contained around minute two. Unmonitored, an after-hours leak runs six to eight hours before anyone arrives.

One leak, two outcomesMinutes since the leak started
0 minmin elapsed
Eddy containedUnmonitored
Eddy isolatingminute 2
Without monitoringrunning · 0 min
min 101 hr2 hr4 hr6 hr8 hr

The leak starts at minute zero. Eddy contains it around minute two. Unmonitored, the same leak runs six to eight hours before staff arrive, and that red stretch is the avoided claim.

Build your system

Design your building's leak protection.

Two minutes of quick questions gets your building the right protection, previewed instantly.

  • Sized to your asset class and budget
  • Modular. Adjust anything before pricing
  • An Eddy team member calls soon after you submit

Sensors, meters and shutoff, backed by a 24/7 monitoring center.

Replacement reserves under Minnesota condo law

The Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act requires associations to budget replacement reserves adequate to replace the components they are obligated to replace as those components wear out, keep the reserves in accounts separate from operating funds and reevaluate their adequacy at least every third year. A monitoring program does not fund a reserve. What it gives a board and its reserve-study engineer is real data on how the building's water systems are behaving, and it protects the reserve fund from the deductibles and uninsured losses that drain it fastest.

A team behind every alert

A 3 a.m. alert is one chime. Nobody is awake to hear it.

Fast response is not just the hardware. The technology sees the water in seconds, and the managed service behind it, a monitoring center that calls your team within minutes, turns that into a contained event before it becomes a claim.

Tuned by real events

Built over a decade in operating buildings.

Eddy has been inside buildings since 2014. Sensor placement, alert thresholds and the monitoring-center playbook are tuned by what real water events across our monitored properties keep teaching us.

Built for the building

Sized to how the water system behaves.

Multi-family stacks, commercial towers, hospitality suites, course-of-construction projects. Each water system has its own failure pattern. The coverage map, response chain and shutoff sequence are scoped to the property in front of us, not a template.

Detect, contain, document

Every event leads to a closed incident.

Sensors find where water escaped. Automatic shutoff isolates the affected zone. The 24/7 monitoring center calls your team within minutes and stays on it until it's closed, with a Leak Incident Report on file.

Watched from a monitoring center that knows winter

Eddy protects condo towers, commercial buildings and multi-building portfolios across North America, with 150,000+ devices monitored from its Toronto monitoring center. Operators confirm every alert, call the building's contacts through the escalation protocol within minutes of the SMS, email and app alerts and can close a valve remotely when the building's response plan calls for it. Toronto runs the same winters Minneapolis does, so the program was built for cold-climate buildings from the start.

Minneapolis water leak detection FAQ

How Eddy works

Get your property protected.

Peace of mind, on every floor: our specialists map your building's risk points and design coverage backed by a 24/7 monitoring center.

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